His face battered from his fight, Valerius fell to his knees on the other side of Ash. "What is that?"
Ash writhed as if he were on fire. "Simi... Akra... Thea Kalosis. Biazomai, biazomai."
Tabitha saw the terrified look on Simi's face before the demon vanished.
"Ash?" she asked, panicking. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," he gasped. He grabbed Valerius's shirt. "Get Tabitha home. Now!"
"We can't leave you," they said in unison.
"Go!" Ash snapped an instant before the grayish stone-like skin crawled over more of his body.
They didn't.
Ash fought and screamed as the grayish color spread all over his body. Tabitha laid him out flat on the ground. Ash panted as if trying to fight off whatever had him.
It was a losing battle.
His swirling silver eyes bulged before they too turned gray and he was as still as a corpse. Ash wasn't breathing. He wasn't moving. It was as if something held him completely paralyzed.
"What do we do?" she asked Valerius.
"You die."
Tabitha spun at the malevolent voice behind her to face the ghost again. It was surrounded by more Daimons.
"Good Lord, who spread the Daimon fertilizer around? They're cropping up like a bad horror flick," Tabitha said.
Valerius rose to his feet.
Before she could move, Valerius engaged them.
Tabitha rushed to join the fight.
"Don't kill the woman!" the ghost snarled to the Daimons. "I need her alive."
Another blond Daimon laughed. "Yeah, but feel free to rough her up all you want."
Tabitha turned to find yet another Daimon behind her. She struck out with her arm only to have him dodge her blow, then straighten up to deliver a staggering strike to her ribs.
The pain drove her straight to her knees.
Valerius cursed and started for her. Two Daimons cut him off.
With nothing more than sheer strength of will, Tabitha regained her feet.
The Daimon looked impressed.
Tabitha went to hit him, only to have him move away, lightning fast. This time when he tried to strike her, he was slammed into the building beside her.
"Leave her alone," Valerius snarled. He put himself between her and the rest of the Daimons.
Tabitha pulled her sleeve back and shot a crossbow bolt into the nearest Daimon. He disintegrated.
Suddenly, something ricocheted through the Daimons, killing two instantly before it vanished.
Tabitha looked past the Daimon horde to see a cavalry. Julian, Talon, and Kyrian were coming in, weapons drawn. She'd never been happier to see any of them. Alone each one of the blond men was dangerous. Together, they were invincible.